


Light Through Broken Windows

by MusicalLuna



Category: Spider-Gwen (Comics), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Dead Peter Parker, Established Relationship, Grief/Mourning, Gwen Stacy feels, Gwen Stacy is Spider-Man, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, M/M, Originally Posted on Tumblr, POV Steve Rogers, Parental Tony Stark, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark is Good With Kids, Wise Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-12
Updated: 2015-09-12
Packaged: 2018-10-25 09:38:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10761582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MusicalLuna/pseuds/MusicalLuna
Summary: Steve overhears a conversation between Tony and Gwen about mistakes, moving on, and forgiving one's self.





	Light Through Broken Windows

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nightwalker](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightwalker/gifts).



> GOOD JOB DOING UR DISHES.
> 
> i don’t actually know what happens in spider-gwen but it’s a comic so i assume she does at least one thing that hurts somebody she feels sad about so ;p ROLL WITH IT. in this fic the thing she does hurt (killed) Peter

The team has expanded a lot in the last five years.

They’ve practically got their own community going in the Tower, with the Cages on the fifteenth floor, van Dyne on the seventeenth, Danvers on the twentieth, the floor where Peter Quill and his crew stay when they’re planetside (Steve never thought he’d use a phrase like that), and Waters on fourteen.

And to think he’d once thought he would be one of a kind. He’s just a step up from a regular fella compared to some of the people who’ve joined their ranks.

Their latest addition is fifteen-year-old Gwen Stacy.

She’s had a rough few weeks with the Parker boy’s death and the New York Police Department declaring her a wanted woman. Steve’s not thrilled about supporting an under-age girl operating outside the law as a masked vigilante, but she’s determined to help people and he can’t exactly argue with her about her methods after what _he_ did.

They can’t support her publicly, what with the being wanted and all, but it makes him feel better to know that she can call them if she gets in over her head and can come to them when she feels like it’s too much.

This afternoon she’s sitting cross-legged on a table in the penthouse lab with a textbook in her lap. She’s laughing, which is maybe a first since Steve’s met her. She has a nice laugh, low and throaty.

Across the lab, Tony is bent over another work table, allowing himself a little smile where she can’t see it.

Steve pauses on the stairs when Gwen’s smile fades, her eyes growing wet. “Tony,” she says quietly, “have you ever done something you thought was right that turned out all wrong?”

Tony turns, his hands sinking down to rest on the lab table.

Steve should go. He definitely shouldn’t stay here and listen.

“Yeah,” Tony admits, and turns fully, leaning back against the table and looking down at his feet. “More than once. A few times. A handful. No more than a dozen.”

Gwen laughs, the sound wet and thick in her throat. “Did you ever hurt anybody? Someone you—loved?”

Tony’s mouth pulls into a humorless smile. “Yeah. Almost every time, actually.”

Gwen sniffles and looks over at him, a tear streaking down her cheek. “H-how do you deal with it? Knowing that you—and—” She sobs, reaching up to cover her mouth and stifle the sound. Tony pushes off the lab table and crosses to her, bringing his hands up to curl around her shoulders.

“Shh,” he murmurs, drawing her into his arms. “Shh, shh.” He holds her close, one hand curling around the back of her head. Steve knows he shouldn’t watch, shouldn’t even be here, but he can’t bring himself to move. “It’s tough, honey,” Tony says, voice so quiet Steve almost can’t catch the words. “But all you can do is your best. You’re only human.”

“I’m a little bit spider,” Gwen says, head resting heavily on his shoulder.

Tony smiles and squeezes her a little tighter. “And a little bit spider. But you’re still a young spider-human hybrid. You’re gonna make a million more mistakes.”

Gwen’s face crumples, her hand tightening around his sleeve.

“But,” Tony goes on, “you’ll learn and grow, and your mistakes, hopefully, won’t cost you so much next time. There’s no guarantee, obviously. But with any luck.”

“I don’t seem to have much of that.”

“You sure have had a bad run, haven’t you?”

“Does it get easier?” she asks when they pull apart. She sniffles, but won’t meet Tony’s eyes and he tucks a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

“No,” Tony says and Steve winces at the honesty. “Gets harder, actually. But you get stronger. Surround yourself with people who can help you make better decisions.”

“Like Steve?”

Tony’s mouth curls in a soft smile that makes Steve’s heart skip a beat. “Yeah, like Steve.”

“Thank you,” Gwen murmurs. “Everybody keeps saying it will be okay, but it doesn’t feel like it will.”

Tony sighs. “Ah, well-meaning platitudes. I mean, I’m not saying it _doesn’t_ get better, but sometimes it gets worse first. Sometimes it’s worse for a long time and you convince yourself drinking helps even though it’s not true. But eventually, yeah, things are okay. You have to work at it, like, _really_ hard. But things are okay and you meet people who want to be okay with you. So you work at it and work at it, and things are okay more often than they aren’t.” Steve’s throat tightens, imagining all the things Tony went through, all the things they’ve been through together. “You’ve got us, so you’ve already got a leg up,” he says lightly, and chucks Gwen on the chin lightly with his knuckle. “You’re a tough kid. You’ll muddle through.”

“Sorry about your shirt,” Gwen says, grimacing at his shoulder.

Tony shrugs and eases away, seeming to understand that she’s had her fill of comfort for now. “I’ve got a thousand of them, no big."

Gwen glances down at her phone and her eyes go wide. “Gosh, it’s late, I didn’t realize. I’ve gotta get going.”

“Sure, sure,” Tony says, “Stay out of trouble. Come back tomorrow and Bruce will have those results for you.”

After she packs up her things and dries her face, Gwen darts over and hugs Tony from behind. “Thank you,” she murmurs again, into his back.

“Anytime, Spiderling,” he replies, putting one callused hand over hers.

Steve starts finishing his journey up the stairs, because it will be weird if Gwen catches him out here just lurking around.

“Hi Steve,” she chirps as she passes, with one of those hollow smiles.

Steve really does hope she’ll be okay.

His attention focuses on Tony as he steps into the lab and he can hardly breathe, watching the way Tony’s eyes track Gwen’s path across the penthouse to the elevator, his hands fiddling idly with a stylus.

It hits Steve all at once that he wants to see Tony like this with _their_ child, holding them and hugging away their troubles. He wants to see Tony with their baby cradled in his arms, his eyes soft and his hands gentle. God, he wants it so much he can hardly breathe.

“Hey, there, gorgeous,” Tony says, catching sight of him and he smiles, eyes curving upward in happiness. “What are you doing up here?”

“I don’t know,” Steve says, because he honestly doesn’t remember. He catches Tony by the hand and reels him in, presses a kiss to his mouth, feels Tony’s lips spread into a grin.

“Nice to see you, too. You are getting old if you’re forgetting things like that.”

“No, it’s just you,” Steve says. “You make me lose track of everything else.”

Tony blushes, eyes widening a little in surprise. Steve loves him so much he has to cup his face in his hands and kiss him. Tony soaks it up like a sponge, his hands curling delicately around Steve’s wrists, holding on and letting Steve have his way until he’s dark-eyed and breathless.

“My, my, Captain,” he murmurs, “something’s got you worked up.”

“Just love you,” Steve says to watch Tony flush with pleasure.

Now isn’t the time, but one day soon, he’ll ask if maybe they can add one more person to their little family.


End file.
